Our mission as Big Brothers and Sisters is to bring happiness into the lives of seriously ill children across the UK. We would normally do this by visiting them, taking them on outings, or by just spending quality time with them. We see first hand how life-changing the services Camp Simcha delivers are to families and now more than ever, whilst our families are stuck in total isolation, we cannot stress enough how important this programme is.

This is the story of one volunteer:

For 14 years Yael has volunteered as a Big Sister to a number of the seriously ill children Camp Simcha supports, visiting them regularly, spending time with them, taking them on outings and retreats, and planning wonderful activities to make them feel boosted and special while they battle through the impact of their illness, all the hospital visits, doctors appointments and the many very difficult days.

Recently she knew that the child she supported was going to be spending a lot of time in hospital, so she spoke to the nurses and family to get permission to take her out of hospital for an afternoon. She took her shopping and they had a lovely few hours. It was such a boost. On another occasion she arranged for the some of the girls friends to come around so they could have a get together.

This demonstrates just how important the Big Brother and Sister programme is. For the 232 university aged Big Brothers and Sisters who aim to bring pure unadulterated joy and light to the families we work with, we are more than just volunteers, we are family. Now more than ever we are working hard to create fun and innovative ways to bring that spark to Camp Simcha families who are having to navigate such unprecedented levels of uncertainty. Please donate to help us to ensure this vital service continues for as long as it is needed.